What is the PoPeYE Technology and How is it Done?
Large areas of bamboo plantations have to be established to supply the increasing demand for poles. The most ideal source of raw materials for the various uses is commercial bamboo plantations but there is not enough to supply the demand of various industries. The natural stands are ready source materials if given proper management. They require only a short time and less investment than newly planted plantation before returning profits.
The following is a guide to the PoPeYe Technology – a proven technology for the rehabilitation, maintenance, rejuvenation, and harvesting technique to ensure sustainable production of quality poles and shoots in otherwise unmanaged plantations and natural stands.
You will find 20-30 poles/year in an unmanaged 12-year old clump. To increase this number to 75 poles/year, the following should be done:
- Start cleaning along the periphery of the clump. Cut and remove the branches, branchlets, and thickets to have a clear view of the poles at the inner part of the clump.
- Count the number of poles present in each clump. Identify and mark foue 1-year old poles. Young poles are easily distinguished with the presence of leaf sheath still intact in the nodes of the pole. The outer culms of older poles are shiny and smooth.
- Remove all dead poles, broken, defective, and all poles older than 4 years old to homogenize the age and sizes of poles. Use small power chainsaw to be able to penetrate the middle portion of the clump.
- For 12-year old clumps, check that after removing unwanted poles, there should be 16 poles left, four each of 1-year old, 2-year old, 3-year old, 4-year old poles. The 4-year old poles should be ready for cutting at the appropriate month of harvesting.
- After cleaning and clearing each clump cover the base of the clumps with the leaf litter to protect the new shoots that may emerge and to serve as mulch and source of organic matter for the plant.
- Every year new shoots emerge from the clump. Four vigorous shoots should be marked and left to grow as poles. It is safest to mark those to be left at the start of the shoot season to assure that these are enough culms to grow. All other shoots that emerge after identifying those to grow as poles will be harvested for food.
- Maintain the clumps regularly. Cut the thickets and branchlets at the base of the clumps. Leaves the thickets and branchlets above two meters from the base to hold the clump during strong winds and prevent the poles from falling or lodging. Irrigate the clumps whenever possible to improve shoot production.
- Harvest matured poles (4 years old) at the right time. In the Philippines, the best time to harvest is after the rainy season or early summertime.
- Cut the poles just above the second or third node from the base whichever is convenient during harvesting.
- Harvested poles and stumps/butts should be brought immediately to processing centers for proper drying and preservation treatments.
For shoot production, the average productivity index for kawayan tinik is 0.49. this means that each pole present in the clump can produce 0.49 shoots per year. In the 4-4-4 technique, the 1-, 2-, and 3-year old poles growing every year have 6 potential numbers of shoots. If 4 shoots will be marked and allowed to grow for the next harvest of poles, two will be left for shoot production. For a hectare, there will be 416 potential shoots.
Source:
ILARRDEC Farm Primer No. 02/2008
Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD)